Where Are the Gardens in the Garden State? Middle School Lessons on Sustainable Agriculture and Farmland Preservation.

Chen, Loris

This unit helps middle school students explore the local face of a global challenge: vanishing farmland and the need for sustainable agriculture. With an eye on the National Geography Standards and five areas of the New Jersey core curriculum standards, this unit also develops the skills needed to contribute toward creative solutions for such problems. This unit was developed as a nine-week study skills project for seventh grade students and includes the core subject classes of mathematics, science, social studies, reading, and writing. The 12 lessons can also be taught individually. Objectives of the 12 lessons include learning about population distribution and density, creation of various kinds of maps and graphs, inferring relationships between farm locations and soil types, researching agricultural best management practices for preserving farmland, and negotiating a consensus position on farmland preservation with persons representing a variety of viewpoints. Many of the lessons contain reading selections. Study skills pre- and post-tests, a glossary, and references are also included. (PVD)